Chapter 32

The final stage began with the same prelude as "Something."

The audience was puzzled.

Was the duet song they saw as the first performance also going to be the farewell performance?

Some frowned.

'They’re milking it like old bones.'

No matter how much they topped the charts and were a hit, it was a risky move to reuse the same song for the stage.

Everyone thought so.

Until the prelude changed at the 5-second mark.

'Thought it was good during rehearsal, and it’s good again.'

Hah Seung-ju, who had stepped back to the side, smiled.

It was a different prelude from the original.

A lively piano melody was added to the acoustic guitar of the original prelude.

And there was even a drum.

Unlike the calm and refreshing original, it had a lively and cheerful atmosphere.

Hah Seung-ju smiled as he listened to the changed melody.

'Kyuwan must have touched it up.'

The touch of a professional was definitely felt.

Even if Seon Woo-ju knew how to compose, there wouldn't have been enough time to do so after the appearance was confirmed.

The smell of his close junior composer was evident in the small details.

'Anyway, it’s good.'

It was magnificent, combining the song created by the son of the pianist he admired with the arrangement by the junior composer he liked.

It was a unique blend.

Hah Seung-ju closed his eyes and smiled broadly.

He didn’t even notice that the production crew’s camera was pointed at him.

"Ha ha ha!"

One of the staff in the control room burst out laughing.

It was because on the screen being broadcast, Hah Seung-ju was smiling with a flower petal in his mouth.

It was a somewhat cute expression.

"MC Hah is doing it again. That girl-like expression when he hears good music."

"Another clip will probably come out when it airs."

"It will definitely be captured."

The staff chuckled.

"This New Black episode is really hitting the mark. MC Hah’s expression, the story of the genius pianist, and the underground life of Jang So-won."

"Right."

The PD nodded in agreement.

"But the most important thing is right now."

He was right.

Hah Seung-ju’s Music Cafe is, after all, a music show.

They invite singers to have conversations about music, but the essence is always to present a good performance.

The talk with Jang So-won and New Black was excellent.

But it wasn’t a performance.

The first performance, "Something," was perfect, but the problem was that the song was too familiar to the audience.

After monopolizing the music charts for over a month, the fatigue had set in.

Therefore, something new was needed.

Something fresh.

Seon Woo-ju’s jazz performance played the role of an appetizer for this newness.

The main course was about to begin.

'Just do it like the rehearsal.'

The PD was thinking this when the song started.

In the original song, Jang So-won approached Seo Ri-hyuk to start the part.

It was the section where the vocals were expected to come in.

However, the member who first grabbed the microphone was none other than New Black’s rapper, Kim Jung-hyun.

My watch is waiting for you

At 2:30 PM

When will I see your face

Can you see my anxious self

It was a rap that sounded like singing.

His powerful voice and the calm melody captivated the audience.

The audience’s concentration instantly rose as the rap unexpectedly broke in, defying expectations.

Next was Jang So-won.

Her clear voice echoed through the hall.

Will I wait a long time, what face will you make

Leaning against the bus window, I imagined

Where does this tremble come from

Probably between us

Now people started to paint a picture in their minds.

A man waiting at the bus stop.

A woman on the bus heading to the man.

Naturally, while having such imaginations, the microphone passed to Seon Woo-ju.

Is this what love is

Waiting is not easy

You, like a spring breeze

Can you wait a little longer

A third character appeared.

While enjoying Seon Woo-ju’s song, the audience also began to imagine.

'A love triangle?'

Some recalled Jang So-won’s talk.

"Actually, 'Something' was originally a song where each member of New Black had their own part."

"Really? Then why were they left out?"

"Because, as a female vocalist, with five male vocalists, the atmosphere seemed a bit strange."

"Strange?"

"Yes, like a woman managing a love triangle."

Indeed, with the addition of a new character, the song had a completely different atmosphere.

When the audience’s curiosity was piqued, the main vocalist appeared.

A more cheerful atmosphere than the original version.

In that song, Seo Ri-hyuk’s rich voice echoed through the hall.

If you ask what our relationship is

I think—

Our relationship is like a sweet candy

Slowly melting

I will cross that wall and hold your hand

Hold your hand that seems just out of reach

And now I will whisper to you

The original version was refreshing, but now it had a sweet and cheerful atmosphere.

New Black’s expressions proved it.

Unlike the solemn first performance, they were all singing in a joyful atmosphere.

The audience’s mouths curved into smiles.

Initially, New Black had planned to prepare a moist, late-night emotional song.

Until Seon Woo-ju objected.

"It’s a stage where renowned seniors have performed. Even if we are among the best singers in the idol world, it’s hard to move the audience."

His argument was that it was better to do an entertaining stage rather than trying to move the audience with a difficult song.

So they prepared a lively version of "Between."

It was a specially prepared stage to improve the original song and entertain the audience.

"You’re doing well."

The PD in the control room smiled.

"During the talk, he showed a good sense of humor, and he knows how to make the stage enjoyable, not just a clumsy ballad. I should remember this. What was the leader’s name in New Black? I forgot."

"Seon."

"Right. That guy."

Thinking that he might call him when he handles another music program in the future, the PD said.

"Now it’s about to come. The highlight part."

"Right."

Anticipating the audience’s reaction, they focused on the dozens of monitors, including the camera shining on the stage.

In the second verse, Kim Biju held the microphone.

A voice closer to a falsetto, distinctly different from the other members, started the song.

I miss your face

I’ll prepare by picking a spring flower

Our sweet relationship

To make you feel the thrill

As she said this, Kim Biju smiled and took out a flower.

It was a magnificent sight.

After the five members finished their parts, people realized that the image they had of New Black was wrong.

New Black was a team where all members had their own vocal characteristics.

If they hadn’t said they were idols, people would have believed they were a quartet of vocalists.

The audience marveled at their singing skills but soon furrowed their brows, pondering the lyrics.

'What’s going on?'

Kim Jung-hyun waiting for someone.

Jang So-won on the bus heading to a man.

Seon Woo-ju approaching someone.

And Kim Biju, also waiting for someone.

'A love quadrangle?'

Seo Ri-hyuk and Wang Ji-ho, like the fairy Puck in Shakespeare’s 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream,' played the role of narrators singing about the love between men and women.

The other four men and women.

Their relationships seemed intertwined.

As the final highlight of the song began, the four men and women started moving, placing Seo Ri-hyuk and Wang Ji-ho in the center.

Holding your hand that seems just out of reach

Now I will whisper to you

Jang So-won approached as if she had just gotten off the bus.

As expected, Kim Jung-hyun.

He greeted her warmly, as if standing at a bus stop, and they harmonized with their microphones.

'Then what about the other two?'

If Jang So-won chose Kim Jung-hyun, what about the other two?

Just as I was thinking this, Seon Woo-ju approached Kim Biju.

Kim Biju smiled and handed her a bouquet of flowers, which Seon Woo-ju accepted.

A small laugh escaped.

Seon Woo-ju and Kim Biju harmonized with each other, and the audience couldn’t help but laugh.

Some audience members recalled a certain music video.

A man watching a woman get married, longing for a love that could never be. But in the end, it turned out that the man was longing for the man marrying the woman.

Seo Ri-hyuk and Wang Ji-ho moved apart, like Cupids celebrating each couple.

When the song finally ended, the audience sent their thanks to the six who had entertained them.

It was thunderous applause that echoed through the hall.

* * *

The singer knows.

Whether the performance was good or bad. You can naturally tell without even hearing the applause.

A good performance is different.

A good performance flows perfectly from the start, like a well-oiled machine.

It was the same when we sang trot for the year-end evaluation.

But knowing that the performance was good and actually seeing the audience’s reaction in applause and cheers are two different things.

That’s why I was smiling now, receiving the applause.

Jang So-won.

Biju. Jung-hyun. Ri-hyuk. Ji-ho.

The members who performed with me and So-won exchanged smiles and politely greeted the audience with their microphones.

"Thank you!"

The thunderous applause made me smile.

But what was best was the audience’s expressions.

The faces of my parents from my childhood, who used to smile at me, were reflected on the audience’s faces.

That was the very reason I wanted to become an idol.

* * *

In the car on the way back to the dorm.

It’s quiet.

Everyone seems tired, buried in their seats.

We’ve been doing pre-recordings for music shows since the morning, and now we’ve done a live broadcast, so we’re drained.

Still, it was satisfying.

I felt like I had really worked hard today.

"Everyone did a great job."

I smiled broadly.

"Finally, the activity is over."

"Phew, it’s finally over…"

"Relieved?"

"More like disappointed. We’ve been floating on a cloud for a month."

We agreed with the youngest member.

"But we finished well, right?"

"When the audience applauded, it was really thrilling. It was ten times bigger than during the year-end evaluation."

"Ten times? I’d say a hundred times."

"How did we do, manager?"

At Biju’s question, Seok-hwan, who had been quietly sitting in the passenger seat, smiled.

"The reaction was good. There won’t be any more talk about your singing skills on the internet."

"Oh."

"You really did well, guys."

At the affirmation from the entertainment expert, we all cheered and clapped.

It was the result we wanted.

Our goal was to show our singing skills.

"Min-gi, how about you?"

"You looked good."

"Min-gi, can I send you a flower?"

"Ah, manager. I’m sorry, I was distracted because I was driving."

Thanks to our clumsy road manager, the car erupted in laughter.

Biju asked me for confirmation.

"Bro, the audience’s reaction was good, right?"

"The reaction on-site was good."

"Yeah, it was. When I gave you the flower at the end, some women cheered."

"I was worried about the reaction, but it’s really a relief."

"Relief, right?"

I nodded and smiled at Ri-hyuk.

I called a member who was quietly looking out the window.

"Jung-hyun, how was it?"

"It was good."

"Thank you the most today. You know why, right?"

I was grateful to the guy who, in the waiting room, said there was no need to take care of them and suggested I make the choice for myself.

Jung-hyun smiled silently.

It was somehow a melancholic atmosphere.

Past 10 PM.

In the dark car, illuminated only by the streetlights, we felt a different mood than usual.

Was it emptiness?

The dream-like time, as Ji-ho said, had come to an end.

The music show activities were over, and there wouldn’t be any more celebrity-like activities like photo shoots anytime soon.

We were still unsigned.

Now, when we return to the dorm, we’ll go back to being trainees.

A long tunnel.

After driving through a dark tunnel and taking a side road to enjoy the scent of flowers in a beautiful garden and sing joyfully, the sweet time had come to an end.

We had to return to the tunnel and run towards the light.

But even if we pass through that tunnel, will we be able to meet that sweet time again on a side road?

Everyone must be worried about the same thing, even if they don’t say it.

'Don’t worry.'

...I wanted to say, but I’m not a god in the entertainment industry, and I can’t guarantee absolute success.

So I said something else.

"You all worked hard."

We all looked out the window at Yeouido, which was getting farther away.

"Let’s work hard until we come back."

Everyone nodded and smiled.

March 2014.

With the final recording of Hah Seung-ju’s Music Cafe, New Black concluded their activities for the project song "Something."